Marked: City of the Damned Book 1 by Everly Drummond Page A

Sara
crossed the street and opened the door of the diner. The aroma of
freshly cooked bacon and eggs greeted her as a small gangly Asian
man stepped out from the kitchen and welcomed her. After settling
on pancakes and coffee, Sara picked up a well read copy of
yesterday’s paper and took a seat at the end counter as she waited
for her order. Her stomach growled as the smell of “real” food
lingered from the kitchen. A week of eating greasy food was more
than her petit body could handle. For the most part, she tried to
stay in good physical condition. Working out three times a week and
eating healthy helped her to maintain her slim form and well toned
body.
    “Did you order pancakes and coffee?” A young
girl asked as she emerged from the kitchen carrying a large
Styrofoam container in one hand and a paper cup in the other.
    “Yes,” Sara replied, and folded up the paper,
placing it neatly on the counter.
    “That’ll be five dollars.”
    Sara reached into her purse and pulled out a
twenty dollar bill. After paying for her meal, she headed back into
the frigid night air of midtown New York. The convenience store was
only two blocks away, but with the wind stirring, and the
temperature dropping, the walk seemed to take longer than it should
have. After a quick stop at the convenience store for a quart of
milk and a bag of cat food, she picked up her pace and started
jogging in the direction of her apartment, her breathing coming in
short ragged breaths as the cold air invaded her lungs. As Sara
turned the corner, she didn’t notice the leather clad man standing
at the foot of the alley, nor did she hear the heated conversation
that was taking place between him and the other man who stood in
the shadow of the building, further down the lane. Before she had
time to react to the presence of the sinister figure looming in the
darkness, a gloved hand reached out and grabbed her by her hair,
pulling her into the depths of the alley.
    A scream built up in the back of her throat,
but the gloved hand covered her mouth, stopping the noise from
escaping. The leather clad man dragged Sara past the overflowing
dumpster and across the garbage strewn pavement, pulling her
further and further into the darkened bowels of the alleyway, and
out of sight of any passers-by. Sara thrashed violently against the
tight grip of her attacker, but his burly arms and inhuman strength
held her firmly in place.
    “Let the girl go,” a husky voice
demanded.
    The gloved hand covering Sara’s mouth pressed
tightly against her skin. “And if I don’t?” asked the leather clad
man.
    “Your quarrel is with me, not the human. Let
her go and I’ll give you what you want.”
    “Promises, promises. You tell me that now,
but how do I know that you’ll stick to your word, Gedeon? You’ve
lied to me before.”
    “Let her go, Pryse. This is your last
warning.” Gedeon stepped out from the inky shadows of the
building.
    “You’ve always had a soft spot for humans,
haven’t you?” Pryse grabbed Sara’s hair and roughly yanked her head
to the side, causing her to wince in pain.
    Sara stood frozen in place by fear. What did
he want with her? Who was this strange man trying to protect her?
And why did he call her a human? Panic caused Sara’s thoughts to
muddle together, and she couldn’t wrap her head around the
conversation that was taking place between the two men. She glanced
around anxiously looking for a means of escape, but the attacker’s
grip was too strong.
    “I can’t really blame you though,” said Pryse
“her scent is intoxicating. I may have to claim this one for
myself.”
    Gedeon took another step forward. His voice
was menacing when he spoke, “It is against the law to mark an
unwilling human. If you mark her I will kill you.”
    “You mean if I do this?” Pryse raised his
hand to his mouth. His fangs unsheathed and he bit down hard,
piercing the tender flesh of his wrist. Blood flowed in a steady
stream from the two self